North Texas Residents Take Recent Quakes in Stride

Residents in a North Texas area that has seen a swarm of seven earthquakes in the past month say they are not concerned about the unusual geologic activity.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports many residents view the small earthquakes, the most recent one on Thursday, as more of a nuisance than anything else.

Scientists believe many of these small earthquakes that have occurred in recent years in areas that are not generally prone to such ground moving activity may be due to large amounts of wastewater being injected into underground wells.

Much of the wastewater is from the oil and gas industry, and many injection wells are in areas where hydraulic fracturing has boomed in recent years.

The Texas Railroad Commission says no injection wells have been closed.